Ackee Fruit Toxicity Treatment & Management

  • Author: Dave A Holson, MD, MBBS, MPH; Chief Editor: Timothy E Corden, MD   more...
 
Updated: Aug 19, 2011
 

Medical Care

Traditionally, care in ackee fruit poisoning has been focused on relieving symptoms and providing supportive care with restoration of fluid, electrolyte, glucose, and pH balance.

  • Administer a bolus of hypertonic dextrose solution followed by an infusion of 10% dextrose solution.
  • Administer activated charcoal, which absorbs 100-1000 mg of poison per gram of carbon, if the patient presents within 4 hours of ingestion. If mental status is altered, consideration should be given to airway protection prior to charcoal use.
  • Manage vomiting with antiemetics.
  • Resuscitate volume-depleted patients with dextrose in normal saline.
  • Manage seizures with benzodiazepines.
  • If necessary patients sometime require intubation and ventilatory support.
  • Animal studies have shown early glucose infusion with methylene blue reduces mortality associated with unripe ackee ingestion. Further testing in humans is needed.
  • Theoretically, the supplementation of glycine, carnitine and riboflavin may be beneficial, but this has yet to be proven in the clinical setting.
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Consultations

  • Contact the local poison control center.
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Dave A Holson, MD, MBBS, MPH  Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Queens Hospital Center

Dave A Holson, MD, MBBS, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, National Medical Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Michael E Mullins  MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Emergency Department, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St Louis, Missouri

Michael E Mullins is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and American College of Emergency Physicians

Disclosure: Johnson & Johnson stock ownership None; Savient Pharmaceuticals stock ownership None

Mary L Windle, PharmD  Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Jeffrey R Tucker, MD  Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Connecticut and Connecticut Children's Medical Center

Disclosure: Merck Salary Employment

Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP  Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine

Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP is a member of the following medical societies: Ambulatory Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Society of Hospital Medicine

Disclosure: Baxter Honoraria Consulting

Chief Editor

Timothy E Corden, MD  Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Co-Director, Policy Core, Injury Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin; Associate Director, PICU, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Timothy E Corden, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, Phi Beta Kappa, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Wisconsin Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous authors Glendon C Henry, MD, and Sekuleo Gathers, MD, to the original writing and development of this article.

References

  1. Sharma S, Yacavone MM, Cao X, Samuda PM, Cade J, Cruickshank K. Nutritional composition of commonly consumed composite dishes for Afro-Caribbeans (mainly Jamaicans) in the United Kingdom. Int J Food Sci Nutr. Apr 1 2009;1-11. [Medline].

  2. Joskow R, Belson M, Vesper H, et al. Ackee fruit poisoning: an outbreak investigation in Haiti 2000-2001 and review of the literature. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2006;44 (3):267-73.

  3. Moya J. Ackee (Blighia sapida) poisoning in the Nothern Province, Haiti, 2001. Epidemiol Bull. June 2006;22 (2):8-9.

  4. Gaillard Y, Carlier J, Berscht M, et al. Fatal intoxication due to ackee (Blighia sapida) in Suriname and French Guyana. GC-MS detection and quantification of hypoglycin-A. Forensic Sci Int. Mar 20 2011;206(1-3):e103-7. [Medline].

  5. American Medical Association; American Nurses Association-American Nurses Foundation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration; Food Safety and Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture. Diagnosis and management of foodborne illnesses: a primer for physicians and other health care professionals. MMWR Recomm Rep. Apr 16 2004;53:1-33. [Medline].

  6. [Best Evidence] Vlasselaers D, Milants I, Desmet L, et al. Intensive insulin therapy for patients in paediatric intensive care: a prospective, randomised controlled study. Lancet. Feb 14 2009;373(9663):547-56. [Medline].

  7. Addae JI, Melville GN. A re-examination of the mechanism of ackee-induced vomiting sickness. West Indian Med J. Mar 1988;37(1):6-8. [Medline].

  8. [Best Evidence] [Guideline] Barceloux DG. Akee fruit and Jamaican vomiting sickness (Blighia sapida Koenig). Dis Mon. Jun 2001;55 (6):318-26.

  9. Barennes, H, Valea, I, Boudat AM, et al. Early glucose and methylene blue are effective against unripe ackee apple poisoning in mice. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2004;42(5):809-815. [Medline].

  10. Bressler R, Corredor C, Brendel K. Hypoglycin and hypoglycin-like compounds. Pharmacol Rev. Jun 1969;21(2):105-30. [Medline].

  11. CDC. Toxic hypoglycemic syndrome--Jamaica, 1989-1991. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. Jan 31 1992;41(4):53-5. [Medline].

  12. Eddleston M, Persson H. Acute plant poisoning and antitoxin antibodies. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2003;41(3):309-15. [Medline].

  13. Kean EA. Commentary on a review on the mechanism of ackee-induced vomiting sickness. West Indian Med J. Sep 1988;37(3):139-42. [Medline].

  14. Larson J, Vender R, Camuto P. Cholestatic jaundice due to ackee fruit poisoning. Am J Gastroenterol. Sep 1994;89(9):1577-8. [Medline].

  15. McTague JA, Forney R Jr. Jamaican vomiting sickness in Toledo, Ohio. Ann Emerg Med. May 1994;23(5):1116-8. [Medline].

  16. Mills J, Melville GN, Bennett C, et al. Effect of hypoglycin A on insulin release. Biochem Pharmacol. Feb 15 1987;36(4):495-7. [Medline].

  17. Tanaka K, Kean EA, Johnson B. Jamaican vomiting sickness. Biochemical investigation of two cases. N Engl J Med. Aug 26 1976;295(9):461-7. [Medline].

 
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Freshly picked Ackee fruit
Black seeds surrounded by a thick, oily, yellow aril (edible portion).
 
 
 
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